August 1737 (2)
= Le Mercure Gallant - August 1737 = Weather this month *Caspian Sea still becalmed. *Storms in the North Atlantic, Far South, and the Black Sea. Events Of Importte Pertaining To Recent Matters Valencia *While taunting a bull in a street in Valencia, as part of one of his impromptu bullfighting displays, the famous bullfighter Francisco Romero was gored by the beast and had to be carried away in a terrible state. Iroqouis Indians *Returning from Magdeburg the Kaiserin, Dorothea von Anhalt-Dessau has hosted a summer ball at the Imperial Palace for the great and the good of Berlin Society. Her Imperial Highness made a point of being civil and polite to the new French ambassador Le Duc de Gramont, who lapped it up and was just as civil in return. She told him, “France has nothing to fear from Prussia. It is Prussia’s wish only to unify and strengthen the Empire of the German people.” Paderborn *South of Paderborn 80 squadrons of Liege-Cologne dragoons commanded by General von Schonberg continued to skirmish with Kronprinz Heinrich’s 13 dragoon squadrons. However, the Imperialist camp has been heavily reinforced by the Kaiser and Generalleutnant York. The Prussian cavalry screen was far too outnumbered to prevent the Liegois discovering the strength of the Prussian field army, which incidentally is still being denied entry into the Paderborn, which is fortified in the modern manner, by a hostile Munster garrison. The Kaiser has here under arms, excluding the screening dragoons, 110 battalions of foot, 50 squadrons of horse, and 43 artillery batteries, as well as a considerable baggage trayne. Late in the month Heinrich’s dragoons withdrew to the Kaiser’s camp. Schonberg’s cavalry responded by surrounding the entire Imperial encampment. London *King George I publicly stated that he intended to continue to honour his commitment to the Flemish Republic and he trusted that the other powers involved would do likewise. Lord Thatcher commented that the entire Flanders affair was behind us, but the British Government maintained a garrison in Flanders that would act to defend the Flemish Government. His Lordship went on to state that the British Government will not interfere in the affairs of the Flemish government and that the troops stationed there will be removed at the request of the Flemish Raad. Lastly Thatcher said that the commitment to the Flemish people is no less valid today than it was when the Prussian Army and the British Army stepped in to protect them. *His Majesty’s Government has made another significant investment in the North American Colonies. The road and canal network of this region is currently being upgraded so that it can handle larger amounts of traffic than it is currently capable of taking. This investment is part of a continued effort to ensure that the British subject in North America can continue to prosper. The well-being of all Britons is the concern of the King. Yaqui Indians *The Yaqui elders have informed Cabellero Delgado that their people farm their land, so any mines opened would encroach on this farmland. For this reason they will not be welcoming to any such settlers who come to encroach son their way of life! Iroqouis Indians *Baron Rouen de Mallats was brought before Great Chief Kirok Chakotay of the Hohinonhsio- ni who was surrounded by warriors armed with muskets. The Baron tried to speak, but looking stern the Great Chief raised his hand and spoke first. “What terms of honour do you bring us to end our war?” he asked. The Baron looked confounded. “War? What war?” he asked. The Great Chief frowned, “We have been at war with you since 1732, and you didn't know?” The baffled baron admitted he knew nothing about it! He was then shown Father Jean Pierre Aulneau and several thousand French prisoners held by the Iroqouis, and asked what his King would give for their release and peace between 'our people'. De Mallats presented fifty hunting rifles, fifty metal axes and some alcohol, and asked for an alliance. The Great Chief replied, “Formally hand Ft. St. Joseph to me, and agree pay us £50,000 and the men you have seen shall be returned to your king and peace shall return. If you are shown to be of good faith in this, then we can talk about an alliance. Prove of false tongue, and we will remain sworn enemies! Let us see how you and your king do on this test!” Metz *Duke Charles of Lorraine has expressed his sense of woe that France and Prussia are clashing in war. “I urge both the Kaiser and the King of France to pursue peace before the fighting degenerates further into another Thirty Years War, if it hasn’t already. I consider both friends of my duchy, and dearly desire to see my daughter Eloise, Dame de St Charles married into the House of Bourbon. As for the Kaiser’s family, I propose my son Henri become governor of Austria in the Imperial service?” Bonn *The siege continued with the wet outer ditch being crossed while under fire from Bonn’s guns. The midwork defences were breached by the end of the first week in August, but the fighting for the possession of them lasted another week. At this point Manfred von der Goltz-Steuben, in charge of the defence, was mortally wounded and a few days later died. He was 73 years old. The result of the fighting was also that the Swiss mercenaries he had been leading lost control of the midworks to the soldiers of the Prussian 1st Brigade. Harassed by marksmen armed with rifles and faced with Prussian regular, the crack Swiss troops fought long and hard but were still ultimately driven out. The rest of the month was spent constructing approach routes toward two bastions across the main wet moat. Strassburg *The Zentral Army under the Prince of Anhalt-Dessau which is blockading Strassburg for the Kaiser were being harried by French cavalry under General de Foix, 72 squadrons of which are under his command. The Prussians, whose cavalry dare not venture out against such superior numbers, are keeping to their camp lines and suffering from pinprick attacks and small scale raids as a result. Having to stay in camp effectively meant the Prussian blockade of Strassburg has ended, a fact which allowed Jean-Baptiste Labat to enter the city as French ambassador to Baden. Later in the month De Foix called his cavalry off, and sent a message to Anhalt-Dessau offering a ceasefire if supplies were allowed into Strassburg and attempts to besiege the city were abandoned? Cologne *Maurice Gourdault-Montagne has presented Prince St. Maurice of Liege-Cologne with a fine French clock. Sidon *Sidon has come back under the administration of Syria. *Grand Admiral Talaat Pasha’s Rumelian fleet of 37 ship of the line, six cruisers, and nine auxiliaries has arrived off Sidon. Haifa *Rumelian scouts warned the garrison of Haifa that Sheikh Khabees army was approaching, and that it is proceeded by a great cloud of irregular Mameluke cavalry. Forewarned, but aware of his lack of cavalry, General de Graces decided to remain inside Haifa but ordered work on new walls to be abandoned. Instead he spent time preparing his infantry to defend Haifa’s perimeter. This proved to be a wide decision. His front line was commanded by General de Saxe of the Nizam Corps and consisted of five battalions. The Syrians arrived, and immediately the Sheikh launched an assault off the march with ten battalions of Janissaries. Despite their numerical superiority the Janissaries launched piecemeal attacks, preventing the deployment of their integrated light artillery. They were easily repulsed, to their shame! Vinnitsa *The Russians have begun work on a second citadel for Vinnitsa, this time with a wet ditch. This is mentioned here because Vinnitsa is part of the Ukraine rather than Russia proper, and the Ukrainian Cossacks have already provided Vinnitsa with a citadel and fortifications to protect this city. The same is also true with regard to Kursk, Bryansk and Poltava, where the same scenario is happening! Brest *The Prussian trade missions in Brest have held trade fairs, as have their seventy or so other trade offices across the world. Versailles *Russian diplomat Count Fedor Golovin has presented King Charles of France with a gift from the Regent of Russia for the Queen, who was believed to be away in Spain. The gift is a diamond necklace designed as a line of 51 circular-cut diamond collets mounted in silver and gold. Queen Isabella is however now thought to have returned to the French court prior to the end of August, but as of yet only the King has had the pleasure of her company (or so it is said). *George Blake, an English Member of Parliament, has departed Versailles for London, but not before admitting that the Jacobite cause back home has been weak since the demise of James Stuart. James’s son, Charles, is also dead - he was lost at sea when a merchant ship foundered off Brest in 1732, and since then there has been little cause for any Jacobite to fight for. *King Charles sent for a series of ambassadors to attend private interviews. The first to be summoned was Vladimir Gyulai of Hungary. Next in was the ambassador of Sweden, then of Genoa, and finally of Ireland. A grand banquet was held afterwards in honour of the newly arrived Moghul emissary, Ahmed Ali Khan. Charles gave a short after-dinner speech telling how ‘I only seek peace through a just equilibrium of power.’ King Charles personally showed the envoy around Versailles gardens (although, if it be honestly stated, they are not really landscaped, nor in a good state and were something of an embarrassment to His Highness). They also took a walk around the Opera House, which is not yet open. Back at the palace Charles was seen to sup and enjoy a cup of Anatolian coffee, and took three cubes of sugar with it. Naturally this soon become all the rage at court and no doubt in Paris as well! *The Royal Chancellor le Marquis Gerard de Besancon has publicly issued an invitation to Duke Charles Lothringen of Lorraine to come to Versailles. *The Gallican Church is understood to have made a large voluntary donation to the Crown coffers of France. Mexico *Juveniles held by the Spanish authorities have been moved to the gaol in Mexico City, and their families are being permitted to visit them. *General Pablos de la Cueva, on hearing that while some miners have turned to work about one in five have not, visited them with a small dragoon escort, picked out two of the more vocal complainants and saw them hang. As a consequence more miners have been intimidated into returning to the mines, although still about one in ten are not doing so. Kingston *Lord Shropshire, the English Crown’s Governor of Jamaica, has taken it upon himself to visit the construction works at Kingston to discover who has ordered the work to go ahead. He was directed to Captain Bartholomew Hill, who was to hand. Shropshire has heard of him before, since this naval officer used himself to be the governor of Jamaica. Hill casually explained that he now glories in the office of Civil Administrator of Prussia’s Colonies. When His Lordship gently pointed out that Kingston is not a Prussian colony, Hill threw up his hands impatiently and walked off while declaring, “Not yet it isn’t!” Edo *Work has been completed on a small artificial island in Edo Harbour which is now serving as the diplomatic quarter for foreign ambassadors to Japan. This has been done to ensure that they are not being permitted on sacred Japanese territory! Calais *More grain has been released via Calais to the poor of France via the good offices of the Gallican Church. The terms for receiving grain this time were relaxes somewhat, with priests ending their shaming of parishioners, although they were still involved in the distribution of free grain. The absolute necessity to sign the poor book to be in receipt of help was also waived, at the local priest’s discretion. This help, coupled with the further sale of grain at 80 livres per ton, has resulted in the ending of spectre of famine across the Kingdom this coming winter. People being Much Admired by the Best in Société *Russia *France *Moghul India *Prussia *Hungary *Kwantung China *Blackbeard *Ottoman Rumelia *England *Spain *Sweden *United Provinces Shipping Lists: Being a Reporte on Knowne Shipping Movements *The Dutch Navy has ended its blockade of Singapore. *Ten Japanese merchant junks have been lost at sea in the Pacific. *In the North Sea area sixteen Prussian merchantmen are reported missing. Lloyds Lists: Being a Reporte on Knowne Shipping Losses from Causes Unknowne or Knowne *None. Ambassadorial Appointments *Sent by Spain to the Yaqui Indians, Cabellero Delgado. *Sent by Moghul India to France,Ahmed Ali Khan. *Sent by France to Prussia, Le Duc de Gramont; to the Iroqouis Indians, Baron Rouen de Mallats; to Flanders, Jean- Balthazar d’Adhéma; to Sweden, August Comte; to Hesse-Darmstadt, Maurice le Glace; to Hesse-Kassel, General Louvois Le Tellier; to Hanover, Philippe Jules François Mancini, Duc de Nivernais, to Holstein, Jean- Michel Vasqualles, and to the Swiss Cantons, Captain Thierry Lacroix. Trade Missions Opened *By Spain in Milan and Brussels. *By Russia in Milan and Turin. *By France in Paris, Bordeaux, Nantes, Toulon, Lyons, Brussels, London, and Zurich. Automatically parsed by LGDRParser v1.0 Category:Game 2